Telangana Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar on Tuesday exuded confidence that the state will achieve the target of 100 per cent Covid-19 vaccination of population above 18 years in next one month.

He said with 3 to 4 lakh people being administered the vaccine every day and improvement in the vaccine supply, the state health department will achieve the target next month.

He was talking to reporters after visiting mega vaccination centre at GHMC Sports Complex at Khajaguda in Hyderabad. Authorities have made arrangement for vaccination from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day. Special counters have been arranged for women and senior citizens.

The chief secretary directed the officials to undertake wide publicity in the area to inform people about the vaccination facility. He asked them to especially focus on migrant labourers.

He said six more mega vaccination centres will be set up in the city to further improve the vaccination coverage.

The chief secretary said the state has so far administered 2.8 crore doses. A total of 2.02 crore people have taken the first dose.

He pointed out that supply of Covid vaccines to the state has improved. “This month the state will receive one crore doses,” he said

Somesh Kumar said vaccination was underway in all the districts. He said in districts where the pace of vaccination is slow, he would speak to the district collectors concerned and ask them to expedite the process.

The officials are focusing on districts where the vaccination coverage is less than 72 per cent. Only around 50-55 per cent of people have taken the first jab in six districts.

Telangana has a population of 4.1 crore, of which around 2.8 crore are above the age of 18 years. Officials said 71.42 per cent eligible beneficiaries have taken the first dose.

According to director of public health G. Srinivasa Rao, 2.02 crore people have taken the first dose, and 78 lakh the second dose.

However, around 25 lakh people who were due for second dose have skipped it despite completing the prescribed time interval between two doses. Of them, 15 lakh took the first dose of Covishield and the remaining took Covaxin.

Only 32 per cent of those vaccinated have taken the second dose. Authorities attributed this to misconception that the pandemic is over. He appealed to people due for second dose to immediately approach the nearest vaccination centre and take the second jab.

Telangana has reached a new milestone in Covid-19 vaccinations as it crossed the 2 crore doses mark, officials said on Wednesday.

Director of Public Health Dr G. Srinivasa Rao announced that the state has become the 14th state in the country to cross 2 crore doses mark. As per the data on Cowin portal on Wednesday, Telangana has administered 2,00,40,525 doses.

“It is a proud moment as we achieved a significant milestone in the vaccination programme against Covid in our state,” he said.

For administering first one crore doses, it took 165 days while the next one crore does were administered in just 78 days.

“Apart from the commitment of the last level field functionaries of our department, the support from line departments, the backup we received from the highest level of political and administrative wings, enthusiastic participation of public for vaccination at GCHCs and PCHSs has made this possible,” Rao said.

He also praised print and electronic media for its role in disseminating relevant information. While thanking all those who made this possible, he said they now look forward to 100 per cent vaccination.

At a programme held to mark the occasion, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar cut the cake in the presence of Health Secretary S.A.M. Rizvi and other senior officials of the Medical and Health Department.

The state government on September 12 decided to launch a special drive to administer Covid-19 vaccines to 3 lakh people daily to cover those who have not taken them so far.

There are 2.80 crore people above the age of 18 and eligible for vaccination in the state. So far 1.45 crore were administered the first dose while 55.28 lakh have completed their second and final dose. As many as 1.34 crore people have still not taken even the first dose.

The state, like the rest of the country, had rolled out vaccination on January 16 and crossed the one crore doses mark on June 25.

The Telangana government on Wednesday decided to vaccinate 6 lakh people against Covid-19 on priority

They included government employees in various departments, dialysis and thalassemia patients, auto and cab drivers, bank and postal employees, public representatives of urban and local bodies, pujaris, imams and pastors.

The decision was taken at a meeting Finance Minister T.Harish Rao and Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar had with senior officials on the implementation of Covid vaccination drive in the state.

The minister directed that vaccination of the remaining 6 lakh persons from identified high exposure categories in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) and all other urban local bodies of the state should be completed in the next four days.

The meeting decided to vaccinate another 6 lakh people in various categories on priority. They include 16,000 dialysis and thalassemia patients, 3 lakh auto and cab drivers in ULBs, 25,000 engineering staff working in all the engineering departments, 45,000 field staff working in power sector, 5,000 field level employees in agriculture, 30,000 field staff of revenue earning departments, 6000 IKP field staff, 15,000 bank employees in the districts, 13,000 postal employees, 60,000 public representatives of urban and rural local bodies, 35,000 RMP and PMPs practising in rural areas and 50,000 pujaris, imams and church pastors.

The meeting noted that payment had been made to vaccine manufacturing companies for 16 lakhs doses which were yet to be supplied. It was therefore also decided to appoint a special officer to pursue the matter and ensure that receipt of this stock was expedited.

After undertaking a special drive to give Covid-19 vaccines to high-risk groups, the Telangana government has decided to start vaccinating students going abroad for the higher studies.

These students will be vaccinated on a priority based on their admission letters. The Medical and Health department will soon prepare the guidelines in this regard.

The decision comes as a relief for students planning to take admissions in universities abroad. With various countries planning to open up travel and other sectors after Covid curbs, several students in Telangana are looking to pursue higher studies abroad.

Since Covid vaccination is going to be a key condition for travel and stay in countries like the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe, the state government decided to launch a special drive to give Covid vaccine jabs to students.

Meanwhile, the special drive for vaccination of high risk groups in the state was underway for a fourth day on Monday.

Beneficiaries identified under the category, also known as super spreaders, were taking the jabs at vaccination centres across the state.

Under the special drive, the state health authorities plan to cover 7.78 lakh people including auto rickshaw and cab drivers, Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) employees, those working in Rythu bazaars, grocery shops, wine shops, street vendors, salon shops, laundry service, pan shops and vegetable, fruits, flowers, chicken, meat, fish markets.

During the last three days, the health authorities vaccinated more than 2.70 lakh people. They included about 55,000 of 45 and above years who received their second dose.

According to director of public health and family welfare Dr G. Srinivasa Rao, 69,168 people were vaccinated on Sunday. They included 4,698 who received their second jab.

On Sunday, 48,708 people in 18-44 age group were vaccinated. Of them 41,040 received the jab in government vaccination centres and remaining 7,668 in private hospitals.

The state has so far vaccinated 1.71 lakh people in 18-44 age group. The special vaccination drive will continue for a week.

The state has so far administered 60.58 lakh doses. The vaccination is being carried out at 1,069 centres across the state.

The state last week initiated Covid vaccination for the age group of 18 to 44 years with special drive in all the districts targeting the high risk/vulnerable groups at designated Covid vaccination centres and also permitted private CVCs to vaccinate for 18-44 age group.

The Telangana government has decided to take up a special drive to vaccine “Covid super-spreaders”.

It came to the notice of the state government that these ‘super spreaders’ are contributing to rapid spread of coronavirus in Telangana.

Following this, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has directed officials to take up vaccination drive for super spreaders on a priority basis.

As per the directions of the CM, the Minister for Finance T Harish Rao along with the Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar held a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the issue of vaccinating all super spreaders.

It was directed to take special drive to ensure that all the LPG delivery staff, FP shop dealers, Petrol Pump workers, auto and cab drivers, vendors in rythu bazaars, fruit, vegetable and flower markets, kirana shops, liquor shops, non vegetarian markets are vaccinated, who are identified as ‘super spreaders’.

The issues relating to identification of super spreaders and other logistic arrangements were deliberated.